Characterization and selection of Lactobacillus plantarum species isolated from dry fermented sausage reformulated with camel meat and hump fat

A total of 29 strains of Lactobacillus plantarum, isolated from traditional dry fermented camel sausages and identified by biochemical and molecular methods, were characterized by their technological and safety properties including acidifying capacity, proteolytic activity, and antimicrobial and antibiotic resistance in order to select the most suitable for use as starter cultures in combination with coagulase-negative staphylococci to improve and standardize the safety and quality of sausages. All the Lb. plantarum were able to hydrolyze casein and some strains showed very weak lipolytic activity. Moreover, all isolates showed acidifying activity by reducing pH to less than 4.3 at 15 and 25 °C after 72 h. Related to safety aspects, the totality of Lb. plantarum was resistant to tetracycline, gentamicin, and kanamycin. A large majority of strains exhibited antimicrobial activities against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Aeromonas hydrophila.